


The Sunrise After The Dawn

by gowonsicheng



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anime, Chunin Exams, Connected Ending, Gen, Good Akatsuki (Naruto), Happy Ending, Manga & Anime, Naruto different timeline, Naruto what-if, Oneshot, Uchiha Obito Lives, What-If, different timeline, naruto rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29262321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gowonsicheng/pseuds/gowonsicheng
Summary: What if the Akatsuki members had never gone down the wrong path?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. The Talented Older Brother

“I’m home,” Itachi Uchiha said, as he opened the door to his house and entered. 

He immediately entered his father’s room to report a few things to him. 

His younger brother, Sasuke, who was silently standing outside of the room, was patiently waiting for him. 

To Sasuke, his older brother had always been his role model. Itachi was a prodigy and had always lived up to the villlage’s expectations. 

However, due to this, Sasuke had to face the pressure of always being compared to his brother, and he felt like he was unable to satisfy everybody’s expectations. 

He and Itachi were also slightly distant, and Itachi would always decline his requests to train or bond with him.

“I’m gonna talk to him today,” Sasuke quietly muttered to himself. “He can’t say no.”

A few seconds later, Itachi stepped out of their father’s room. 

“Hey, Nii-san.”

Itachi turned around. “Sasuke. Yes, what is it?” He said. 

“Nii-san, can we talk for a while?” Sasuke asked. He clenched his fists, preparing himself to hear Itachi decline. 

“Sorry, Sasuke. Maybe next —“

“No,” Sasuke boldly said in a loud voice, as Itachi was getting ready to poke his forehead with his two fingers. 

Itachi had always done this gesture as a sign of affection, but Sasuke eventually found it annoying. 

“I’m not putting up with your excuses today,” Sasuke said. “Let’s talk outside.”

Itachi’s expression softened, and before he could reply, he immediately followed his younger brother who was already stepping outside of the house. 

Sasuke then sat on their porch, and Itachi then proceeded to sit beside him. 

“So, what do you wanna talk about, Sasuke?” Itachi asked. 

“It’s just that...”

Sasuke paused, and took a deep breath.

“It’s just that,” he said, continuing his statement, “It’s just that I’m not content with my progress as a Shinobi. People do praise me and say that I’ve grown a lot, but I don’t feel it. You’re still better than me, and that Naruto is more or less on my level already. “

Itachi stared into the sky and smiled. The sun was slowly setting. “Sasuke, you don’t have to pressure yourself too much,” he said. “Just like what many people say, you’re a genius. You’ve been doing amazing. If you swant to reach a bigger goal, you literally still have lots of time to train and achieve it. You can’t expect yourself to become outstanding right away. It always takes time. 

“You mentioned Naruto too, right? Look at him. He’s Lord Fourth’s son and people used to only think of him as just a goofball. But look at him now — with time and effort, he’s now become a brilliant young ninja, just like you. Sasuke, you’re doing amazing. I believe in you, and so many other people do, too.”

And with that, Itachi smiled brightly. Sasuke’s eyes twinkled. 

Who knew that some words and a rare smiling coming from the brother whom he had grown indifferent to would inspire him this much?


	2. The Man Who Lived Through Lies

“Help — me —“

A Shinobi from the village of Kirigakure had been cornered by a ninja whose face was covered by a sloppy hood. 

They were inside a dark factory. 

“You Kirigakure freaks,” the ninja said, laughing as he was close to capturing the Kirigakure ninja with his blinding light-based jutsu. 

“Since you’re from one of the Five Great Nations, you’d expect their Shinobi to be on a greater level compared to those who hail from small and irrelevant villages like me,” the unknown ninja said. 

“But look, I’ve clearly surpassed the likes of you Kirigakure Shinobi!” 

And with that, the unknown ninja cackled. “Really, you’re still weak....”

“What’s so funny? Mind if I join in?”

The Kirigakure Shinobi gasped. “K-Kisame Hoshigaki!” He cried out. 

“You’re weak,” Kisame told his fellow Kirigakure Shinobi, wading his blade. “But I’ve come to save you from this coward who won’t even bother showing his face, so hang in there, kid.”

The unknown ninja then let go of the Kirigakure Shinobi, but the Shinobi seemed to be frozen. 

“I-I can’t move —!” He yelled. 

“You can’t escape my paralysis jutsu,” the unknown ninja said. “And you’re next, Hoshigaki.”

Kisame merely scoffed and grinned. “Bring it on,” he said.

The unknown ninja then rushed to charge at Kisame at once, but Kisame was swifter — he immediately slashed the unknown ninja’s hood at once with his blade and managed to trap him with his Water Prison Jutsu. 

“W-what in the world is this?” The unknown ninja shrieked. 

“Stupid,” Kisame said. He then immediately rushed to his fellow Kirigakure ninja, knowing that the unknown ninja had already fallen to his hands. 

His fellow Kirigakure Shinobi, however, looked extremely shocked. 

“What’s wrong, kid?” Kisame said. “Is this a part of his jutsu or what?”

“No — that’s —“ 

“That’s what?”

“H-he used to be my friend here... He also w-went to the Academy here a-and... He l-lied and s-said that he was from a smaller village,” his junior replied.

Kisame narrowed his eyes. “I see.”

He then carried his fellow Kirigakure Shinobi on his shoulders.

A few seconds later, a bunch of other Kirigakure Shinobi arrived at the scene. 

“You! You’re the traitor who deserted our village years ago!”

Kisame frowned. 

“Why — why did he lie, K-Kisame-senpai...?” The Shinobi on his shoulder said. “This world i-is full of lies, isn’t it...?”

Kisame paused for a while. “That’s correct,” he said. 

“This world may be full of lies, but there’s actually more of the truth out there, you know? Some people simply just don’t see it, while some people refuse to accept it.”


	3. The Strange Artist

“Deidara-nii, Deidara-nii!” Kurotsuchi cried out, running to her blonde and long-haired friend, who was already practicing in a large and enoty field which was distant from the village of Iwagakure. 

“What is it, Kurotsuchi, hmm?” Deidara said, as his large clay bird swooped down and he immediately stepped back onto the ground. 

“Why did you start training without Akatsuchi and I?” Kurotsuchi replied, with her hands on her hips. 

“Oh, sorry. I wanted to start training right away because I am an artist, and after all, artists love perfecting their art! Hmm!” He said, smiling widely. 

“Oh, Deidara-nii, there you go again with all your art stuff,” Kurotsuchi said, rolling her eyes. “Akatsuchi will be here in a while, so you better not go back to training before he arrives!”

Deidara frowned. “Aw man,” he said, as he sat on the ground. “This is boring.”

“Well, don’t you wanna rest?” Kurotsuchi asked. “From the look of it, you’ve been training for quite a while already.”

“You certainly do not understand me!” Deidara said, scowling. “Art is mastering and perfecting your jutsu! I must train hard in order to carry out what my art asks of me, hmm!”

“That’s not art,” Kurotsuchi remarked. 

“It is!” Deidara replied. He could feel himself heating up. Why was able to understand his definition of art?

He always respected other people’s opinions, but why couldn’t other people respect his? 

“Look, Kurotsuchi,” he said, “I am very passionate about my art and you know that! Why can’t you just —“

“Cut it out, Deidara.”

Deidara frowned. It was Onoki, the current Tsuchikage and Kurotsuchi’s grandfather. Akatsuchi was accompanying him. 

“Oh, Grandpa, Akatsuchi, hey,” Kurotsuchi said, greeting the duo. 

“Hello,” Akatsuchi replied. 

“Hi,” Onoki said. He then began approaching the frowning Deidara. “Oh Deidara, can’t you behave and stop being reckless for once?”

“Nobody understands my art, hmm,” Deidara said, folding his hands. “I love art and I want to use this art to protect the world.”

Upon hearing this statement, Onoki couldn’t help but grin. “You’re so stubborn, Deidara. You really have to fix that.” He then took a slight pause. “I know that the village will be in good hands in the future, though,” he said, finishing his statement. 

Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi’s eyes widened. 

Deidara looked at the old man, who was staring up into the clear blue sky. 

He understood his unusual definition of art even though he wouldn’t admit it, didn’t he?


	4. The Legendary Puppet Master

“Master...”

“You’re late, Kankuro.”

Kankuro sheepishly smiled as he entered the room and slowly approached his redheaded master, who was an attractive man in his mid-thirties. 

“I’m really sorry for the delay, Master Sasori,” Kankuro said, as he sat on the chair next to Sasori. 

“Children these days,” Sasori said, frowning with his usual bored-looking face. “You know I hate waiting, right?”

“I had a few things to take care of,” Kankuro said, as he slowly unpacked the bag which contained his puppet. “I’m sorry again.”

Sasori scoffed and folded his arms as he slouched back. “You are expected to be a brilliant puppet master in the future, Kankuro,” he said. “Punctuality is a basic trait a Shinobi should always possess. Sometimes I wish that Granny Chiyo was right here training you instead of me.”

“Yes, I understand. I apologize once more,” Kankuro replied. 

Guess I have to be more serious. This is Sasori of the Red Sand, the well-known and celebrated puppet master, he thought. 

“Now, Kankuro, shall we head outside to begin our session?”

“Y-yes, Sir!”

“I’ll be lending you my most valuable puppets to you in a while, so be prepared.”

Sasori made a slight smile as he said this. The first puppets he had ever created were puppets which resembled his mother and father, whom he had lost due to the previous Shinobi war. 

These certainly puppets meant a lot to him, but he had decided that it was already the right time to pass the torch down. 

Sasori had already acknowledged Kankuro’s talent in puppetry. 

And seeing how well the industry of puppet masters was doing, Sasori knew that his art and the art of puppetry itself would be in good hands.


	5. The Optimistic Young Man

“Ugh, this sucks,” said Hidan, who was sitting in his house, looking outside of his window. 

His village, Yugakure, had simply become a tourist site after all the commotion caused by ninja feuds that had occured. 

He was upset with what the situation he was currently in, and was thinking of what he was supposed to do. 

Everyday, he found himself sitting in boredom with nothing left to do except yell at the outsiders who would try to enter his house. 

But this day would be different. On this day, he would finally leave this miserable village and try to find a good life for himself. 

And so, he put his leather jacket on and hastily picked his scythe up before stepping outside his house. 

He then slam his door shut will full force, and this caused a few of his neighbors to scream. 

“Stop overreacting!” He yelled in annoyance. 

An old lady stepped outside of her house and approached the young Hidan. 

“What do you mean ‘stop overreacting’? Young man, how about you learn some manners?” She said, scolding him. 

“I don’t care!” Hidan replied. “The Shinobi in this village are supposed to be fighting back, but you’re not doing that! And since you guys aren’t doing that crap, look at us now! We’re merely a little carnival for a bunch of stupid foreign Shinobi!”

“You’re a tough one, young man,” the old lady said, her wrinkles showing. 

“That’s none of your business,” Hidan said, pointing a finger at the glaring old lady. “Now I’m gonna leave, and live my life to the fullest! Without this stupid village and its stupid people! Goodbye, I won’t miss you!”

“Hey — !”

And with that, Hidan stomped his way out of his village.

“Finally, I’m free from that stupid village,” he muttered to himself. “Now, where am I supposed to go...?”

He growled and decided that he would just take a stop at the first town he would find. 

After an hour of endless traveling, Hidan was finally able to find a small town, which seemed to be providing general services. 

He carefully examined the town with his purple eyes as he strolled, and was able to overhear what seemed to he a teacher telling a story to her pupils. 

“Did you listen, kids?” The teacher said. “Now that was the story of Kakuzu of Takigakure. He was very loyal to his village, even when he was punished for being unable to complete a mission. He stayed kind and loyal through and through, and that’s what made him a true hero.”

Hidan couldn’t help but laugh to himself. “Corny children stories,” he quietly said. 

However, seeing these children laugh and have fun finally made him realize what he really wanted to do. 

All he wanted to do was to live a good and happy life without anyone bothering him. 

And if you were a good and optimistic guy, just like him, that was pretty easy to do.


	6. The Pursuers Of Peace

It was currently raining. 

The mysterious red-haired man and the blue-haired woman with an origami rose perched on her hair were standing at the foot of their dear friend’s grave. 

“I really miss him,” the woman said in a shaky voice. Tears were flowing endlessly down her cheeks. “Yahiko, I miss you so much....”

The man was also weeping, but he did it in silence. 

“Yahiko, world peace will happen one day,” the man confidently said. “Your dreams still live on. Don’t worry.”

He put his arm around the woman’s shoulder. “Konan...”

The woman looked into the man’s purple ripple-patterned eyes upon her name being mentioned. “Nagato, I....”

Nagato nodded. 

“Yahiko,” he said, “Those who took your life away were unable to find peace later in life. They chose to fight in negativity, and they never desired for peace.”

“The Akatsuki are always doing our best to achieve true peace,” Konan said. “Everything must be dealt with calmly. You believed that creating chaos to find peace was wrong, and you were always very right about that.”

“Yes,” Nagato said. “It may be slow, but we will find true peace. We will find peace by practicing peace. We promise, Yahiko.”

And with that, Konan slowly placed a bouquet of paper flowers on Yahiko’s grave, and both she and Nagato left. 

The duo still had work to do, after all. After Amegakure’s leader, Hanzo, had died in a war, Konan was chosen as the village’s new leader, while Nagato became the leader of the organization which Yahiko had founded in order to achieve peace, the Akatsuki. 

Everybody was counting on both of them, and they didn’t want to disappoint.


	7. The Uchiha Who Treasured His Comrades

Once Obito Uchiha had arrived back at the stadium where the Chunin Exams were being held, he was instantly approached by the restless Naruto Uzumaki, who was his teacher’s son, at the entrance. 

“Obito-sensei! Hey, where’s Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto asked, full of excitement. 

“Well, he’ll be here soon,” Obito replied. “Don’t worry, Naruto.”

“Hey, Sasuke’s late, too,” Naruto said, frowning. 

“I’m sure he’ll also come here in a while!” Obito said, reassuring the young ninja. 

“Hey, you seem to know something, ya know,” Naruto said, suspiciously eyeing Obito in a comedic manner. “What if they’re doing something together and you’re just not telling me?”

“I am not!” Obito defensively replied. 

“Are you sure about that?”

“Of course!”

“I still don’t believe you! Hmph!”

The Fourth Hokage, who sitting at a top room of the stadium, smiled as this witnessed this scene. 

‘Those two get along well, just as I expected,’ he thought. 

Once Naruto and Obito had finished their conversation, Naruto proceeded to gather back with the other Chunin Exam finalists, while Obito managed to find himself a seat on the bleachers next to a couple of noisy ninja coming from other villages. 

It wasn’t long until Kakashi and Sasuke finally made their entrance, which was just a matter of minutes before the exam would finally begin. 

Naruto frowned at Obito from afar after witnessing the scene, while Obito couldn’t help but give him a sheepish smile. 

Kakashi chose to sit right beside Obito, whose eyes were full of passion. Kakashi knew that Obito had lots of hope for the new generation, especially Naruto, who Kakashi could tell, was expectedly his favorite student. 

“You were almost late!” Obito told his friend. 

“Well, it couldn’t be helped,” Kakashi replied, focusing on Sasuke, who had just joined the rest of the Chunin Exam finalists. 

“He’s got a lot of pressure on him, doesn’t he? I know that he really wants to live up to everybody’s expectations, considering that he is Itachi’s brother,” Obito said, with a much more concerned look on his face. “I don’t really get along well with him, but I hope that you can get to him, Kakashi.”

Kakashi’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah...”

However, the silence was then interrupted by a loud and confident voice erupting from the back. 

“It’s too bad you couldn’t participate in the Chunin Exams, Lee! However, your health is more important!” Cried the flashy Might Guy. Several heads turned, including Obito and Kakashi. 

“But do not fret, for youth always prevails!” Guy added, doing his best to comfort his precious student. 

“Yes, Guy-sensei!” Yelled Rock Lee, who was in a hospital robe, covered in bandages and was being accompanied by crutches. 

“That Lee, he’s really like a small version of Guy, isn’t he?” Obito said, chuckling. 

“That’s true,” Kakashi said, smiling beneath his mask. 

“And speaking of Lee’s resemblance to Guy,” he said, “Naruto also has an uncanny resemblance to you, Obito.”


	8. The Stadium

The final stage of the Chunin Exams was just about to begin. The crowd was roaring with cheers, and the tension between the finalists was quite visible. 

Itachi Uchiha, who was sitting with his mother and father, was eager to see what his little brother Sasuke would do. 

‘I know you’ll do amazing,’ Itachi thought, smiling. 

On the contrary, Sasuke was frowning on the battlefield, but this was not a surprise to anybody. He was just a naturally gloomy-natured person. 

Right next to the Uchiha family was a blue-skinned man who seemed to possess some shark-like qualities. 

“That Chojuro, he better not embarass our village,” the man said. 

A few chairs above Itachi and the shark-man were a pair of best friends who were quietly observing the contestants. 

“Watching the Chunin Exams is entertaining isn’t it?” Said Konan. “The cute children always do their best to succeed.”

“I do genuinely commend their will to succeed,” said Nagato, “But they sometimes can be a bit too reckless and violent in my opinion.”

Konan gave her friend a sheepish smile. “Yes, I hope that nobody gets hurt in the process, too,” she said. 

“What a weird pair of people,” said the silver-haired man right beside Konan and Nagato out loud. 

Konan and Nagato, however chose to ignore the young man. 

They were peacemakers, after all, and they were not affected by this in any way. 

The silver-haired man continued giving the duo dirty looks, however. 

‘Weirdos,’ he thought. ‘Are they crayons or something? I came here to be entertained and I end up sitting next to some anti-social weirdos or whatever they are.’

Across Konan and Nagato, on the other side of the stadium, was Obito and Kakashi, who were in quite an awkward position due to the small argument that was occurring to the two men who were right next to Obito. 

“YOU SHOW ‘EM, KUROTSUCHI!” Yelled the long, blonde-haired boy. “SHOW ‘EM WHAT WE’VE GOT!”

Right next to this boy was a red-haired man who had a very annoyed look on his face. 

“Hey, kid,” he said. “Can you tone it down a bit? I think I’m gonna go deaf because of you.”

“Huh?” Said the blonde-haired boy. “And who are you to tell me to do that, hmm?”

“I am someone who is capable of going deaf due to your loud and unnecessary screaming.”

The blonde boy softly growled and folded his arms. “I was just encouraging Kurotsuchi so she could showcase the full potential of her art, hmm,” he said, in a lower voice. 

“You know nothing about art, kid,” said the redhead. 

“And what do you know about it?”

“I am Sasori of the Red Sand,” the redhead calmly replied. 

Obito couldn’t help but gasp, while Kakashi’s tranquil eyes widened. 

“Huh? I have no idea who on earth you are, hmm,” said the blonde boy, whose name was Deidara. 

“He’s a legendary puppeteer from Sunakagure,” Kakashi told the blonde boy. 

“Legendary puppeteer? Well — uh — so you’re a well-respected artist, hmm!” Deidara said. 

“He’s your senpai in — uh — art, you know!” Obito said, trying his best to sound friendly. 

‘Why are these strangers picking on me, hmm?’ Thought Deidara. 

“Thank you,” Sasori said to Kakashi and Obito, although his face still looked uninterested.

“It wasn’t a problem,” Obito said, smiling. 

Kakashi wore the same expression Sasori had. 

“How could I be surpassed by someone who embarrasses me like this, hmm?” Deidara muttered to himself, feeling upset. 

Sasori took a deep breath. “What is art to you anyway, kid?” He asked, turning to the now gloomy-looking Deidara. 

Deidara slowly raised his head up as he heard these words from Sasori. 

“What is art to me, you ask?” Deidara said. He immediately felt nervous upon being asked this by Sasori, whom he had just learned, was actually a legendary artist. 

Due to this, he was not really able to give his real definition of art, but rather, how he felt about art. 

“Well, to me, hmm.... art is an explosion!”


End file.
